


Magnets

by beejohnlocked



Series: Desus Holiday Bingo 2K17 [4]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Opposites Attract
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 13:13:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13147440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beejohnlocked/pseuds/beejohnlocked
Summary: Daryl seeks advice from Aaron after Paul makes a move on him.





	Magnets

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the Desus Holiday Bingo series. The prompt for this one was opposites.

Daryl knocked hesitantly on Aaron's front door, doubting himself more with every moment that passed. What the hell was he doing here? He should turn around and go home. He should forget he ever thought about asking for advice. He should hide in his house for eternity, or at least until Paul got over-

The door opened, Aaron's face registered surprise, though not an unpleasant one.

"Daryl, hi," Aaron paused for a few beats of silence. "What are you doing here?"

It wasn't unexpected that he asked. Daryl was pretty sure he looked a little like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, all fidgeting nerves. He must've shown some despair in his expression though, because the door swung the rest of the way open and Aaron was quick to usher him inside. "Come in, come in."

Daryl walked into Aaron's home nervously, all the while repeating Aaron's question in his head. What was he doing here? Why now? He'd managed to ignore his feelings for Paul successfully for quite some time. He should leave, return to status quo, and pretend nothing had happened.

_You're not going to do that. You know why you're here and why you can't avoid this shit anymore._

Aaron saved Daryl from further internal conflict by laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Daryl, are you okay?"

He took a deep breath.

"Paul kissed me."

********************************

The day before, Daryl and Paul had been on a run to a blink-and-you'd-miss-it town twelve miles west of the Hilltop. There were about two dozen dilapidated houses and a grocery barely large enough for the two of them to stand in.

They'd hit all the residences with minimal struggle and gathered what was useful before ending in the tiny market. This is where it had happened.

They had been arguing about the route to take back. Paul insisted that he knew the area better than Daryl and there were a couple of spots they could still hit. He wanted to take the long way home to maximize their take. Daryl refused, saying that he didn't want to risk it getting dark in a strange place, especially if there was no guarantee they'd find anything more than walkers.

Paul could be so _infuriating_ sometimes. He just sat there, day after day, with his stupid beautiful hair he spent way too much time casually flipping. Or his ridiculously large eyes that always looked through Daryl in a way that was both discomfiting and irresistibly addictive. Or the grins he would send Daryl's way in public when he'd mess with him. Then there were the smaller, softer smiles that Paul would use in private that drew Daryl out and made him want to crush Paul against himself and kiss the hell out of him.

And the _arguing_ , dammit. Daryl wasn't certain if it was just the way they played off each other, if Paul was fucking with him, or if it was genuine disagreement. Because most of the time, as his mom would've said before she'd died, they got on like a house on fire (the morbid irony didn't escape him). There was a natural flow and fit to their personalities that made them perfect to work together; everyone said so. But Maggie and Rick were the leaders of their respective communities and he and Paul were the runners and recruiters. They got things, so they'd be sent together most of the time. The Kingdom didn't have a full-time person in their position, but Dianne would occasionally join their missions. She seemed to enjoy their company pretty infrequently. Daryl guessed it had something to do with the constant banter between Paul and himself.

Because while they went together so well, they also would argue. About anything or nothing at all. The arguments were never serious. They usually happened with good humor and ended fairly quickly with an agreed-upon understanding. But Daryl could not ignore the fact that he and Paul seemed to get under each other's skin more so than most people. 

"Daryl, we're already out. It doesn't hurt to travel a few more miles. We've got a truck with plenty more room."

"Don't care. We can go another day. There's only an hour of sunlight left." Daryl refused to look at Paul's pleading eyes. Why did they have to be the color a person could get lost in?

"An hour better spent finding supplies for our people than joyriding home."

"Who said anything about joyriding? I'm just ready to go home. It's safer. Also, it's winter. What if we get stuck in a storm or something?"

"All the more reason to be out here!" Paul looked genuinely annoyed now, stalking toward Daryl and stopping a few inches in front of him. "Who knows how often we will be able to get out? We've been lucky so far, but don't forget, it's Christmas Eve, Daryl. We aren't going to say snow-free forever. We should take advantage of the clear weather while we have the chance." He poked Daryl's chest for emphasis.

"Yeah, well it's Alexandria's truck, _Paul_ , so it's my call. And I say we are going back and can try tomorrow."

They stood their ground, nose to nose, daring each other to back down. Daryl was wondering if he should maybe say something more when he suddenly found himself backed against a grocery shelf. He barely had time to register that fact before Paul's mouth was on his, tongue sliding against his own and hands fisted in his hair.

Daryl was surprised, to say the least. His hands may have gone up like he was being held at gunpoint, and he definitely made an embarrassing shocked sound. One that morphed into an even more humiliating _whimper_ as Paul's talented lips and tongue coaxed his own into responding. His hands found their way to Paul's waist, pulling him tighter to where he was pinned, delighting in the uncomfortable feel of the shelf digging into his back. Paul's leg found its way between Daryl's own and _pressed_ , earning himself a moan. Daryl found his hands trailing down to Paul's ass to pull the other man even closer, grinding himself against him and shivering at the soft cry from Paul that he swallowed.

_Oh god, I've wanted this for so long._

And it was that thought that tipped the balance for Daryl from being enthusiastic to being downright terrified. This was real. It wasn't just something that was happening right now; it was _real_. Whatever what was going on between Paul and himself felt like so much more than a passing fling. Daryl loved him. Was head over heels in love with him, actually. But that complicated things. Because while he had no clue how deeply Paul felt, the man was at least attracted to him. Now, Daryl realized, they would need to _talk_. And that kind of talking was not something that Daryl knew how to do.

He must've frozen during his thought process, because before he knew it, Paul was pulling away and looking at him with uncertainty.

"Is this okay?"

 _Was_ he okay? Daryl wanted to say yes. Of course. To tell Paul to take whatever he wanted. He was willing to give him anything and everything. But Daryl knew he wouldn't be happy with a purely sexual relationship with someone he loved, and he didn't know how to tell Paul how he felt, so instead he said, "I don't know."

He promptly regretted it, but the damage was done. Daryl would live a thousand lives of torture or willingly die now if he could erase from his mind the look of devastation on Paul's face at his words. At the very least, it confirmed that Paul's feelings had to be more than simple attraction, there was no way he would look so upset if that were the case. But Daryl didn't think he could tell Paul how he felt quite yet. It was too much, to overwhelming. It made for an extremely awkward trip back to the Hilltop, to say the least.

Daryl left for Alexandria the moment they had finished unloading all the supplies, which he knew hurt Paul even more considering his insistence they get back before dark and stay there. But he needed to talk to someone, he _needed_ to. Someone who would get it.

********************************

"Let-let me get you a drink."

Aaron looked a little lost for words as he went to the kitchen. Daryl couldn't blame him. He knew that he probably came across to everyone as someone who had no interest in that kind of thing: love, romance, or sex.

To be fair, he had never given anyone a reason to believe otherwise. He'd spent most of his life repressing the feelings he'd get for other men. It got easier after most of the world was dead, but he'd still get those fleeting glimpses of attraction. And once, he had actual feelings. Rick. That was a tough one for a while, but they'd settled into their relationship as best friends and brothers and Daryl knew that what they were now was better and meant more than anything else they could've had.

But, he'd never been in love before. He'd always heard that people just "know" when they had those feelings. It was frustrating, like there was an exclusive club he wasn't part of. Then he met Paul and he wasn't sure if he regretted his membership or not. He had been able to mostly ignore his feelings by purposefully thinking of something else, anything else. And then Paul had to go and kiss him. That opened the floodgates and let the feelings pour out of the little compartment in which he'd kept them stored. Daryl knew there was no reversing it, either. Now that the feelings were out, they weren't ever going back in. His only options were to avoid Paul forever, which was impossible. Or...he had to tell him how he felt and hope for the best.

Aaron handed Daryl a drink and sat next to him on the couch.

"How about you start at the beginning."

And Daryl did. He started with his and Rick's first meeting with Paul and went from there. Half an hour and a glass of wine later, Daryl let out a breath, feeling like an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn't realize how liberating it would be to talk to someone about this, especially someone who understood. Daryl had considered bringing it up to Rick, Michonne, or Carol before, but he could never quite bring himself to do so. Speaking his feelings would've made them undeniable in a way he hadn't been ready for. And Aaron was different. He understood in a way no one else would.

Aaron was looking at Daryl like he was seeing him for the first time. But he was smiling and his eyes were shining.

"You love him, then?"

Daryl blushed and nodded.

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"Wasn't sure he felt the same way. Not until after I said I didn't know if I was okay with kissing him and saw the look on his face. I feel like an asshole."

"You aren't an asshole. This is just new for you. I'm sure Jesus will understand that, too."

"I don't get it." Daryl ran his hand through his hair, annoyed.

"What do you mean?"

"What is it about him? We couldn't be more different sometimes. He never shuts up. I ain't exactly one for small talk. He likes movies, music, art, and books. I always spend my time hunting and tracking. Then skinning and eating." Aaron chuckled at that and Daryl continued. "He knows every stupid little fact under the sun. I...don't. He's so patient and compassionate. Understanding. Calm. Mature. And he's...," Daryl lowered his voice as though telling a secret, " _gorgeous_. I mean, you've seen him. It's almost ridiculous how beautiful he is. I feel like I'm none of those things and...I don't know what he sees in me."

"Opposites attract, Daryl. It's like magnetism." Aaron patted Daryl on the shoulder. "If you were with someone exactly like yourself, it would be a complete disaster. You need someone to balance you. Someone to be strong where you're weak, and vice versa. And," Aaron added, filling their glasses once more, "you need to give yourself more credit. You're compassionate too, you just show it in a different way. You're intelligent, even if you're not well-read. You have your own skill sets. Jesus could never hit a squirrel through the eye from 100 feet away. I doubt he could do it from ten. And you're a good-looking man. The layers of grease and hair can't hide it." Daryl flushed deeply.

Aaron continued, his face wistful. "Eric and I were the same way. He was so spirited. Funny and sassy. Really comfortable in his own skin. He'd always say I was 'the straight man, no pun intended'. I always felt that next to him, I probably came across as terribly dull. And I had moments where I wondered what he saw in me. It wasn't even a feeling of insecurity, I just couldn't believe I'd gotten so lucky." His voice broke a little at the end, and Daryl vowed in that moment to spend more time with Aaron, realizing how lonely his life must be now.

Aaron paused, gathering himself together, then nodded as though he'd made a decision. The next thing Daryl knew, Aaron had taken his full drink away and was shoving him toward the door.

"I know you're scared, Daryl. But your only option is to tell him how you feel. He's probably heartbroken right now, thinking you don't want to be with him or that you regret kissing him. Go," he insisted, pulling Daryl into a quick hug before shoving him out the door. "Put him and yourself out of your misery."

********************************

Later, Daryl didn't remember the drive back to the Hilltop. He didn't remember Kal letting him through the gates. He didn't remember the walk to Paul's trailer.

What he did remember was the mixture of hope and fear on Paul's face when he opened his door to find Daryl on the other side. He remembered blurting out "I love you" with no preamble and watching that beautiful face split into a grin as Paul returned the sentiment. He remembered Paul pulling him inside by his lapels. He remembered their second kiss, and how it was even better than their first, full of relief, joy, and passion all rolled into one physical expression.

The hours after that were peppered with sharp, unrelenting pleasure and lazy cuddling. Now and again, Daryl found himself giggling for no real reason, marveling at how his life had turned out. Sometimes, Paul would squeeze him tighter, as though checking to make sure Daryl was still there. They were lying in the dark, tucked into one another in a sated tangle, when Paul spoke.

"Merry Christmas, Daryl."

"Merry Christmas, Paul."

They lapsed into comfortable silence once more as Daryl realized this was the first Christmas of his entire life that he'd gotten everything he wanted. As he kissed Paul's forehead, he found himself certain that it wouldn't be the last.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays go everyone out there. Thanks for reading and I love all kudos and comments I recieve!


End file.
